20demayo Chapter 56: A swift and decisive victory!
Chapter 56: A swift and decisive victory!
The night was deep, and the thick clouds, as dark as ink, completely obscured the stars and moon.
The wind carried the earthy smell unique to the area before the rain, swirling up scraps of paper from the street corner and rustling as they slid along the bluestone pavement.
The gate to Qin Lie's courtyard was tightly closed.
Zhou Tong stood in front of the door and raised his hand to knock on the door knocker.
"Tap, tap, tap," the sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
A series of clattering footsteps came from inside, and dim light shone through the crack in the door.
The old servant opened the door, carrying a kerosene lamp with a glass shade, and squinted at the stranger outside the door, who was dressed in a slightly worn outfit and had his hat pulled low.
"Who are you looking for?" The voice was wary.
"Please inform Captain Qin that Zhou Tong from the Second Squadron of the North City Police Bureau has an urgent official report."
Zhou Tong raised his face, his tone calm, yet conveying a solemnity that brooked no delay.
The old servant recognized Zhou Tong's face clearly; he was the rising young captain under his master's command. The wariness on his face immediately turned into surprise, and he quickly stepped aside.
"Oh, it's Captain Zhou? It's so late at night... Please come in. The master has been sleeping late these days and just got some rest. I'll go and call him right away."
Previously, Zhou Tong's clean and efficient slap in the face to Sun Wei, demonstrating his talent and skill, had impressed Qin Lie, who now valued him highly.
During this period, he was invited to his home for meals several times, and the old servant was no stranger to him.
Zhou Tong nodded slightly and was led to the front hall.
Only a small lamp was lit in the hall, casting a dim light on the simple tables and chairs. A faded portrait of Guan Yu hung on the wall, and cold ash accumulated in the incense burner.
Before long, Qin Lie, wearing an outer robe and slippers, strode out of the inner room.
His eyes were sunken and filled with blood vessels, his chin was covered in dark stubble, and he looked haggard.
Upon seeing Zhou Tong, Qin Lie immediately asked, "What's wrong? What happened? Is something wrong at home...?"
Zhou Tong had just asked him for leave, and now he was visiting late at night. He subconsciously thought that something had happened at Zhou Tong's home and he had come to ask for help.
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Qin. Everything is fine at home."
Zhou Tong cupped his hands in greeting, interrupting him, his gaze calm yet piercing: "It's the opium case; we've made progress."
"What?!"
Qin Lie felt as if he had been shoved in the chest; his body jolted violently, and he didn't even realize that half of his outer robe had slipped off.
He rushed to Zhou Tong in two strides, grabbed Zhou Tong's arms with both hands, and the force was astonishing. The weariness in his eyes was instantly dispelled by a surge of sharp light.
"What did you say? Say it again!"
"My men have found the people who were transferring the opium to them, and they have also found the warehouse where the opium is currently stored."
Zhou Tong spoke calmly, yet each word was like a nail striking the silent night.
Qin Lie stared intently at Zhou Tong's face, seemingly trying to find any trace of joking or uncertainty, but only saw a cold and resolute expression.
He slowly released his grip, his chest heaving violently, his voice trembling slightly: "Where...where? How did you find it?"
Qin Lie hadn't had a good night's sleep in days. The case had gone wrong, which had already put him under a lot of pressure, and he was also constantly being bullied by Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao at the bureau.
The situation has now taken a turn for the better, which is like a long-awaited rain after a drought for him!
"The person who transported the goods lives in the west of the city, in a courtyard deep in Mudfish Lane. The goods are currently at Yongfeng Warehouse."
Zhou Tong replied, "As for how we found it... Captain Qin, please sit down, and I will explain in detail."
The two sat facing each other under the lamp.
The Shadow Insect, a wondrous insect of extraordinary nature, is one of Zhou Tong's trump cards and must not be exposed under any circumstances.
These days, Zhou Tong had already figured out how to deal with Qin Lie. He didn't need to be too tight-lipped, since finding the hideout was the most important thing. As long as it sounded reasonable at first glance, no one would scrutinize it.
Zhou Tong remained calm and slowly began to speak:
"On the day of the examination, I carefully examined the body of Diao Laoqi and noticed some details in addition to the obvious injuries."
He paused briefly, as if organizing his thoughts: "Firstly, the mud on the soles of the shoes contained fragments of coal ash and dark red brick pebbles. This mud was not completely dry, indicating that it was freshly applied."
Qin Lie looked at Zhou Tong with shining eyes and listened intently.
"Secondly, there are two diagonal scratches on the back of the right trouser leg, dark green in color, which appear to have been caused by rubbing against a wet and dirty wall base."
Thirdly.
Zhou Tong's voice was slightly deep: "The collar and cuffs were stained with a very faint foul smell, a mixture of cheap coal smoke and swill odor. This smell only clung to the surface of the fabric, indicating that it was a temporary stain."
Qin Lie was slightly taken aback, and interrupted, "You can smell this too?"
Zhou Tong smiled and said, "Captain, you don't know this, but I studied pharmacology under a senior and deal with medicinal herbs every day. That senior required me to be able to identify herbs by their smell. Over time, I have become more sensitive to various smells than the average person."
Qin Lie nodded in understanding and waited for what would happen next.
Fourthly, a piece of half-dried mugwort leaf was stuck in the seam of the right sleeve button, and the cut was still fresh.
Qin Lie's eyes were focused, and his knuckles tapped his knees silently.
"After noting down these details, I went to investigate the place in the south of the city that Deputy Captain Chu mentioned where Diao Laoqi often frequented."
Zhou Tong continued, "Then, I noticed something was wrong. The streets around the gambling dens, restaurants, and inns that Diao Laoqi usually frequented were either paved with stone or made of yellow earth, and there was absolutely no coal slag or red brick gravel."
The gambling dens and taverns were thick with the smells of smoke and perfume, but lacked these two foul odors; what grew along the walls were nothing more than foxtail millet and other similar plants, and wormwood, which thrives in damp and dirty places, was nowhere to be found around Diao Laoqi.
Zhou Tong raised his eyes, his gaze clear: "Based on these details, I boldly speculate that the marks on Diao Laoqi's body did not come from his usual place. And since the marks are all fresh, they must have been picked up elsewhere during the few hours he was missing that day."
We previously deduced that during the few hours that Diao Laoqi was missing, he most likely went to an opium den. If we could follow the trail…”
Qin Lie's eyes suddenly lit up, but then a look of doubt appeared on his face: "But how can we determine the exact location with just these few traces?"
"It is indeed difficult, but there are no other clues. We have to try, even if it's difficult."
"Yes, even if it's difficult, we have to try. We won't let any clues slip by." Qin Lie nodded with full of admiration.
Zhou Tong nodded slightly and continued, "I've pieced together the characteristics of those traces. The coal slag and red brick gravel point to the place where brick kilns and coal yards once stood; the green marks on the damp walls indicate that the alleyways were narrow and dirty; the two foul smells are unique to areas with extremely dense populations, where inferior coal was burned, and swill was dumped; and the stinking wormwood is a marker of the dirty, damp corners."
He paused, his tone hardening: "Based on these characteristics, I asked the old people on the street, and after some effort, I gradually focused my attention on the shantytown area in the west of the city, around the abandoned brick kilns and dye houses of the past—that is, the location of 'Loach Alley'."
There, the alleyways were like a spider web, the ground was littered with waste, and the inhabitants burned coal briquettes, dumped sewage, and covered their roofs with straw; stinking weeds grew at the base of the walls. This perfectly matched the environmental description.
The doubt in Qin Lie's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sharper glint: "So you went to Mudfish Alley to investigate?"
"Exactly."
Zhou Tong nodded: "When I went to Mud Loach Alley, I found that the alleys there were crisscrossed, the buildings were messy, and the population was dense."
It's perfectly normal for those opium traffickers to choose places like this, where it's easy to hide and escape.
Qin Lie agreed, "That's right."
Zhou Tong continued, "I think those people are doing shady business. They can hide here, but they must find a relatively quiet place to make it easier for them to do their work."
I walked all over Mudfish Alley and found that most of the houses there were low shacks with no privacy at all. You could hear people talking in the next house clearly. Only on the edge were there some dilapidated courtyards.
So I focused my gaze there, and then a tree there caught my eye.
Qin Lie asked curiously, "What kind of tree?"
Zhou Tong spoke slowly and deliberately, as if unraveling a mystery: "In the gaps between the patterns on the sole of Diao Laoqi's left shoe, there are several extremely fine pale purple petals, as thin as paper."
My subordinate consulted the experienced gardener, who said the flower is called "Chinaberry" (苦沝), and it blooms around April or May in the lunar calendar. The flowers are small and pale purple. The tree is tolerant of poor soil and often grows beside dilapidated courtyards and crumbling walls.
Qin Lie leaned forward: "Is there such a tree in one of those courtyards over there?"
"Exactly."
Zhou Tong's gaze narrowed slightly: "In a dilapidated courtyard on the edge of the area, there is an old chinaberry tree in full bloom, covered with pale purple blossoms. When the wind blows, the petals fall softly, and a thin layer of fallen petals accumulates at the base of the courtyard wall."
As Qin Lie listened to Zhou Tong's account, it felt as if he were solving the case alongside him. Now that the clues were basically confirmed, he couldn't help but clap his hands excitedly.
Zhou Tong continued, "After I identified that courtyard, I pretended to be an outsider and stayed nearby, keeping watch day and night..."
Qin Lie snapped out of his daze and said, "So, you asked for leave earlier?"
"That's right."
Zhou Tong nodded slightly, and then concisely and clearly recounted the process of locking onto the man in the gray vest, witnessing them moving goods to Yongfeng Warehouse late at night, and confirming that the goods were indeed boxes of opium.
"Good! Good! Good!"
After listening, Qin Lie slammed his fist into his palm, uttering three "good"s in succession. The weariness and gloom on his face vanished, replaced by a sharp, almost excited light.
"You're meticulous, observant, and, most importantly, incredibly patient! Zhou Tong, you've done a tremendous service this time!"
Zhou Tong smiled but remained silent.
His conclusion was based on forcibly linking the evidence after knowing the result, combined with some criminal investigation knowledge from his previous life. It did sound quite plausible, and Qin Lie didn't feel anything was wrong with it.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that with the result in sight, no one will dwell too much on the process.
Unable to contain his excitement, Qin Lie paced back and forth a couple of times, then suddenly stopped, looking at Zhou Tong with a scrutinizing and complex expression in his eyes:
"Since you discovered the clues so early, why didn't you report them sooner? Acting alone is too dangerous."
Zhou Tong met his gaze and said frankly, "Captain Qin, last time when Diao Laoqi was arrested, the escort route was kept secret, but he was still intercepted and killed halfway."
While I dare not definitively conclude that there is something fishy going on within the organization, I must remain vigilant. The more people a message passes through, the greater the risk of it leaking out.
My subordinate investigated alone; even if he failed, he wouldn't have alerted the enemy. Only after confirming the location did he come to report.
Qin Lie gave Zhou Tong a deep look, his eyes filled with admiration and emotion, which ultimately turned into a heavy nod.
"You've thought this through very well. This matter certainly cannot afford any more mistakes."
He pondered for a moment, then resolutely said, "Go back and rest. Leave the rest to me. This time, I'll handle it personally!"
"How does Captain Qin plan to proceed? Will he still use the Second and Third Squadrons?" Zhou Tong asked.
"No."
Qin Lie shook his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Even if the people from last time were trustworthy, there was still a chance they might have made mistakes. I'll go directly to your third senior brother and borrow a group of absolutely reliable experts from his command."
Then, they acted overnight, raiding the hideout and warehouse, catching them red-handed! With the evidence and the perpetrators apprehended, let's see who can cause trouble now!
Upon hearing that Qin Lie was going to use his third senior brother's power, Zhou Tong's last worry was relieved.
"Then I am relieved." Zhou Tong cupped his hands in greeting. "I wish Captain Qin a swift success."
Qin Lie patted Zhou Tong's shoulder forcefully, his meaning unspoken: "Go back now, you've been up all night. You can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
Zhou Tong said no more, turned around and quietly disappeared into the deep night outside the door.
The rain finally started, initially as sparse, large drops that pattered against the tiles, but soon it spread out and poured down the street.
Zhou Tong walked in the rain, the icy rain soaking his clothes, but he felt a burning sensation in his chest.
Back at the Zhou residence, the courtyard was quiet.
He tiptoed back to his room, fetched hot water, and took a comfortable bath, washing away all the filth, mustiness, and fatigue he had accumulated in Mudfish Alley over the past few days.
After drying myself off, I lay down in the dry, soft bedding. The pattering rain outside the window became the best lullaby.
His tense mind suddenly relaxed, and drowsiness surged like a tide. He closed his eyes and almost instantly fell asleep.
He slept exceptionally well that night.
……
The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.
The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight shone brightly on the clean bluestone path that had been washed by the rain. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
Zhou Tong arrived at the North City Police Station as usual, but as soon as he stepped through the gate, he felt that the atmosphere was completely different from usual.
A large group of people were gathered in the lobby, mostly patrol officers from the second and third squadrons. They were all beaming with barely suppressed excitement, whispering to each other and their eyes were shining.
The courtyard was even more lively. Qin Lie and He Kun stood side by side on the steps, with about twenty burly men in front of them. They were exceptionally strong and stood straight with sharp eyes, clearly not ordinary patrol officers from the bureau.
Qin Lie stood with his hands behind his back, his chest puffed out, the gloom that had lingered between his brows for days vanished, and his eyes shone with radiance.
He Kun also had a smile on his lips, occasionally whispering a few words to Qin Lie, appearing very spirited.
As Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao walked in from the bottom of the steps, they both paused upon seeing the scene.
Liu Zhenshan's fake smile froze, while a hint of surprise flashed in Ma Biao's triangular eyes.
"Captain Qin, Captain He, what's going on so early in the morning...?"
Liu Zhenshan smirked, his gaze sweeping over the group of sharp-looking, unfamiliar faces:
"Oh, new brothers have arrived? Quite impressive."
Qin Lie turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, shooting straight at Liu Zhenshan, a smug, triumphant smirk playing on his lips.
"What are we going to do? Show our appreciation to the brothers who did good deeds last night! Captain Liu, Captain Ma, you've come at the right time, listen to us too."
Last night, we raided the Yongfeng Goods Store in the west of the city, seized a large quantity of opium, and caught the perpetrators red-handed!
"What?!" Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao exclaimed simultaneously, their expressions changing instantly.
Immediately, Liu Zhenshan realized what was happening, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "Good, good, congratulations, Captain Qin."
Ma Biao forced a smile and said, "Captain Qin's methods are brilliant."
"clever?"
Qin Lie sneered, his voice suddenly rising in pitch and echoing throughout the courtyard:
"Some people think that by killing someone and silencing them, they can rest easy and continue to harm the people and make that dirty money! I, Qin Lie, will tell you today—"
He pointed sharply to the ground, as if Diao Laoqi's corpse still lay there: "Dead men can talk too!"
He Kun interjected at the opportune moment, his voice icy, his gaze sweeping across Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao's faces like a knife:
"This is just the beginning. I, He Kun, will arrest every single one of those involved in opium trafficking! I don't care who's backing them!"
Liu Zhenshan's face flushed red, and he forced a smile:
"Captain Qin, Captain He, you two solved the case, that's great news... but why does that sound like it's directed at us?"
"Attack you?"
Qin Lie chuckled, his gaze turning sinister as he looked at the two of them, his tone becoming playful:
"According to the initial confessions of the criminals arrested last night, the reason they were able to operate so smoothly in the western part of the city was because someone in the western police station was willing to act as their henchman, providing them with convenience and tipping them off!"
Those people were handcuffed and taken to headquarters before dawn to await trial!
He Kun immediately chimed in, shaking his head and clicking his tongue:
"Tsk tsk, luckily that hideout is in the west of the city. If we were unlucky, it might have been set up in the north of the city..."
Tsk tsk, Captain Liu, Captain Ma, based on your lofty pronouncements a few days ago about "opium being harmless" and "rules changing," wouldn't those criminals be turning to you two for connections?
"So, it must have been the two of you who were arrested this morning, right?"
These words were like two resounding slaps to the faces of Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao.
The brothers from the second and third companies around them echoed with low sneers, their eyes filled with mockery.
"Qin Lie! He Kun! Don't make false accusations!"
Enraged, Ma Biao stiffened his neck and roared:
"We...we were just chatting casually! Isn't that what the newspapers are reporting? We quoted it, is that illegal? When did we ever say we supported the opium trade!"
"that is!"
Liu Zhenshan also hurriedly distanced himself, but his tone became much weaker:
"It's just casual conversation, don't take it seriously! You two don't need to make such a big deal out of it and label people like that!"
"Overreacting?"
The smile on Qin Lie's face vanished abruptly, his expression turned ashen, and his voice was as cold as ice:
"You two actually dare to spout those utter nonsense from the newspapers that advocate for opium?"
He suddenly raised his voice, as loud as a thunderclap:
"The official ban on opium sales is clear and unequivocal; the law is inviolable! What need do you two have to spout nonsense here?! What need do you two have to discuss this?!"
He Kun coldly added, "You've lived half your life and you don't even understand the saying 'disaster comes from the mouth'? You've wasted all these years of your government job!"
The two spoke in perfect harmony, each word piercing the heart and each phrase like a knife.
The second and third squadrons, along with the skilled fighters transferred from the academy by the third senior brother, also began to discuss the matter.
These patrol officers, who are on the front lines year-round, are all seasoned veterans, sarcastic and sarcastic, and each has their own unique skills.
Such remarks were endless: "Promoting opium will result in a son without an anus," and "Serving as a dog's ancestral grave for foreigners will eventually lead to your downfall."
Liu Zhenshan and Ma Biao were so bullied that their faces turned purple and their foreheads bulged with veins.
The arrogance that had risen a few days ago due to Qin Lie's failed investigation was completely extinguished by this bucket of ice water, leaving only a mess of ashes.
Zhou Tong stood on the periphery of the crowd, watching this scene. He saw Qin Lie and He Kun's straight backs and the joy and excitement on the faces of the brothers from the second and third squadrons. A genuine smile also appeared in his eyes.
I finally got to vent this pent-up anger.